Seventh grade boys defeat Owen 44-37 on home court

A 14-0 run out of halftime propelled the Carroll County Middle School seventh grade boys’ basketball team to a 44-37 victory over Owen County Thursday.

Kristin Sherrard/The News-Democrat

Austin Beach and an Owen County player chase after a loose ball in the first half. Carroll beat Owen 44-37 Thursday.

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Kristin Sherrard/The News-Democrat

Tyler Stewart drives the lane in the first half against an Owen County defender.

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Head coach Jesse McClure said his team started out a little slow and began to get sloppy when starting center Malachi Corbin got into foul trouble. The Panthers trailed 17-13 in the waning seconds of the first half when Evan McMahon threw up a half court shot at the buzzer that swished through the net.

That momentum propelled the Panthers out of the locker room, and McClure said his team played a lot cleaner in the third quarter and distanced themselves from the Rebels. “We had some good plays, had some smart play in the fast break and we ended up pulling away in the end,” he said.

Guards McMahon and Tyler Stewart both did a good job passing the ball, especially on the fast break to a, many times, wide open Guillermo Aguazul.

“Evan has a good knack for keeping his head up when he’s looking down the court,” McClure said. “… I thought Tyler Stewart threw a couple really good passes. … Of course Guillermo, tall and lanky, he catches everything and did a nice job putting it in and getting back on defense.”

Aguazul led Carroll with 22 points, followed by McMahon with nine points; Stewart and Corbin with six points and Austin Beach with one point.

McClure said his 6-2 Panthers are a really good team with high expectations.

“With our size and our speed and our talent, I don’t think we should be outmatched by any team we see this season,” he said. “Expectations are pretty high.”